Moult
by Curimuch
Summary: As uneven as it goes and how uncomfortable it is, worn down layers need to shed. Change and growth is inevitable, and Dark Pit is no exception with the cast of characters he's surrounded by. Drabble series.
1. Wit

**A/N: This is a series of drabbles focused all around Dark Pit. They will always start out with dialog, but remember that it's Dark Pit who always talks first. **

**Post-game events as well as c****anon events ** will be present. The occasional Pit/Dark Pit will happen in these drabbles. (Usually it's in the background, but if it's a main focus I'll warn for those who don't care for the pairing.) A few little chapters will flood in every day before I do a rendition of chapter 21 and 22 (It's so amazing that I _must_ to write it in detail! But detail takes A LOT of time to make it as best as it can be So hold out~)  


"I'm his other half."

Magnus raised a thick brow at that answer. While he was skeptical when he asked, "What, you mean literally?" he knew that when it involved the gods, anything goes.

"At the start it was, but I've existed for so long that the split soul gained its own quirks, enough for it to be considered moderately independent but still sharing an origin."

"Like twins, huh?"

The dark angel crossed his arms and continued, "Right. But I would be lying if I didn't say I'm still him, even if I've deviated. I am still a personification of his torn out other side. The side that he kept deep down in order to get the job done, to simply keep going for a slacker like Palutena." His nonchalant look grew cocky with a smirk when he stated, "He had to face to truth when I came to be."

"I always told myself that in order for someone to be _that_ ridiculously cheerful, they needed to be blocking something out and _hard."_ He paused to place a hand on the hilt of his sword. "_Stupidly_ cheerful. That guy, he'd recklessly run for anything, open anything... Just go in and _do it_." His sigh was more of a grumble as his other hand palmed his forehead. The two of them were sharing a hivemind with one another. Thinking of that infamous time at **Dark** Lord Gaol's castle where Pit ran for the treasure chest, even _after_ Magnus logically explained it to be a trap.

_If there's a treasure box, I open it! I can't help it!_

…

"With me torn out, his behavior _is _literal." It was both a lie and the truth—like his entire existence. "He is the way he is because I'm here."

"That gives me more hope for the other angels out there." He rubbed his temples and stood up more to signify he was a bit more forgiving of Pit in that scenario. "Must say, sucks to lose your wits, though." His laugh was short and sarcastic.

"There's worse things than that," he uncrossed his arms as he stated that. "When he was a ring, I couldn't control my vessel for those three years. I was unconscious and picked up traces of what he was doing as an inanimate object. If anything major happens to him, it happens to me." His hands were now stationed on his hips.

"With that cloudcuckoolander? You have your own portion of suck yourself." Magnus' sense of humor was rather spiteful.

"Sometimes kicking reason to the curb works." If Pit hadn't, he wouldn't be having this conversation. "But being human I guess you wouldn't know."

He could see that they really were different people after all. It made the similarities between the two all the more easier to spot with his keen eye. This angel was much more subtle with his protection, but it was still the same ol' quick-to-defend protective like the other was for Palutena. "Don't respect anyone but _yourself_, huh, little angel?" A play of words, one of the many things Magnus excelled in. Being straightforward and saying 'your Palutena, huh?' would've been far too boring. Too easy. This is a man of challenge and play.

"Hmph."

His snarky shot registering with the moody angel's wit was like tossing a dagger square into the sweet spot. For once, his joke didn't miss.


	2. Reflection

**A/N: Okay so maybe I'll just post them as I make them. This means maybe two or more a day...**

"Where's my staff."

"Er..." Pit characteristically scratched the back of his head in response. After a moment of thought, he asked, "which one?"

"The one you _yanked_ out of my grasp when I nearly fell off a mountain."

"Oh. _That _one." Pit sheepishly laughed. He knew that whenever his twin didn't refer to him by name, he was sincerely pissed with him. "Give me a break here! I fused it into some kinda blade. It's not like when I took it I was gonna think, 'man, he sure is going to ask for this back someday!'" He tapped his pale forehead and added, "It didn't look like we'd be friends in the beginning, so yeah."

Dark Pit conveniently ignored the latter statement and interrogated, "What the hell did you turn it into?" He made that staff himself. It was his first legitimate weapon, not a copy that the mirror started him out with. Even if the two mentioned weapons were equally shoddy, that black staff was something he made with his own two awkwardly newborn-at-the-time hands. Unlike Pit who hardly remembered his past, he wanted to actively remember his own. He wanted to have landmarks to go with his memories to proudly boast about. Already, these plans were ruined because he was stuck continuously reflecting his screw ups. Unfortunately, he looked more upset than an intimidating angry.

"C'mon, you can't be serious," An almost plead, but there was a hint of annoyance of his own. "Not with how you had two other weapons up your sleeve!"

"And you have a disgusting horde of them. What did you turn it into." His tone was flat, but his eyebrows were a tell all; they twitched incessantly.

"I don't remember." Pit's hand was back in his chestnut hair, and _his _eyebrows bent up in growing remorse.

"Stupid hoarder." Dark Pit turned around with his arms crossed and huffed. He couldn't just fly away on his own anymore, another thing lost to Pit. _That _reminder made his eyes sting like grains of sand had just flown into them. There was no way he'd call out to Viridi in front of anyone, let alone _him. _Pit on the other hand, didn't mind calling out to Palutena ever, and with an annoyingly bright flash, he was gone.

On second thought, Dark Pit wouldn't call out to Viridi period. Not like this.


	3. Leave

"There is no way that you could ever hope to survive like that."

The long haired cat he spoke to laid down on its side. It showed off its massive fluffy gut to him, and comfortably so. The angel sucked his teeth; he had an arm full of supplies to take back to his camp. It appeared that this now fat cat he befriended a month ago could barely walk the distance.

"Caesare, you better follow me," he sternly stated and took a few steps ahead.

The cat didn't follow.

He knitted his eyebrows in annoyance. He had a sturdy carrying bag, and at the top of it was a net full of freshly captured shrimp. He withdrew one and tossed it ahead.

The potbelly cat went after it. Slowly, but effort was now present.

"Being white and brown only makes this worse..." He sighed and flung another piece of shrimp, but much further; he did not doubt this cat's nose or love for food one bit. It would also save more shrimp for himself. Getting back to a cavern he temporarily made his own took longer than he would've liked, but this cat... he couldn't leave it be looking like a stuffed dinner. He couldn't leave it when they first met, either. Floating in a river so helplessly until he yanked it out. "So clumsily incompetent. Is everything on the overworld like this?" He poked the belly, and for the first time, he was swatted at by the usually gentle cat. "What's your problem?"

Its white tail swished around a little irritably for a moment before it calmed down and purred.

"Whatever...that's all you're getting today." He distanced himself away from the cat to make his fire. He would love to have fruit over grilled shrimp and fish, but living through a non-luxurious setting left him with this; and it could always be worse. On most days he would train after he ate, but he didn't trust this cat to take care of itself. He began to plot a way to find worthy humans to give it to- or simply trade it to the local grocer for food and claim it to be an excellent hunter to chase away pests from his stock. It sure looked the part, anyway.

The purring continued, and he found it to have a peaceful and lulling effect. Before he knew it, he curled up with his wings over himself. He did miss how incredibly comfortable Viridi's domain was, excusing the extremely pink coloring, but the goddess was so blatantly bossy. Absolutely saucy to everyone with a vaguely human appearance not Phosphora, but even the electrical goddess wasn't treated as well as her plant-based _minions_ were. He rather figure out his own domain than be held lower to a walking tree-monster, all the while doing most of her foot work just so he could fly. He huffed and ruffled his feathers. He reminded himself to not feel weak, hopeless and helpless. He was not only powerful and resourceful, he's been around this town of humans long enough to live there if staying in this cavern got anymore drabby.

He could easily slay the monsters that would dare come to town, use his strength to get things they find hard to do get done, and he would be the one acclaimed and praised; deservingly. He'd have it easy _without_ bossing people around too; equals. Or well, as equal one can be with his prowess. The idea put a determined smirk on his face, but the dream turned it into a smile.

**A/N: Thank you for your reviews! They excite me, tbh, and make it harder for me to NOT post more than two a day haha. If there is a chapter you want me to return to, drop a comment and I'll have it on the queue to come back to. This story is actually a companion fic to a (epic)longfic that I am making. It's the counterpart because the focus on that one is Pit and it's written like a regularly progressing story, while this one is something like... 'if you wonder what the hell Dark Pit been up to like Pit does' side material that...came out first lmao. Most of these short stories take place BEFORE that prementioned Pit fic too. And of course Dark Pit will be in it frequently, he's my blatant favorite so there's nothing to worry about :P I want to post it by the 30th... so I really need to work on that rendition of chapter 21 and 22 fff.**

**Also it's so awk writing from this character's perspective. It makes it sound like I hate everyone mentioned so far, when I in fact really like Palutena and Viridi lmao But because Dark Pit doesn't like them it's like, 'DO I SOUND LIKE I HATE THEM? THAT I'M FEMALE BASHING? BECAUSE I'M NOT. DARK PIT YOU ARE SO CRANKY...'**


	4. Favor

"I would love for your nosy goddess to mind her own business when it comes to me."

"_I_ asked her to find you." It took will power for him not to argue, _especially_ to not use her full title towards the grumpy angel.

Dark Pit crossed his arms and stated, "My point still stands."

"You can't complain about a feeling of inequality and then get uppity about her doing favors for me."

"Favors."

"That's right."

"_Favors._" It just sounded _wrong_. Like a hand-wave kinda wrong. "Something like locating and beaming you here is apparently akin to back breaking effort?"

"You think too much."

"You don't enough."

"Yeah, well, we'll see when the other doesn't have ugly face wrinkles." And before he could be protested against, he untied the ropes holding a long square box on his back. Even on grassy ground it had some impact. "ANYWAY, let's open this!" His interrupting statement was plural, but only he opened the box up to reveal two weapons. A less bulky crusader blade and a lancer staff.

"What? You want to fight?" He had a rare moment of genuine confusion.

"We could, but it's not my intent. They're yours. Like, not something I took from you yours, well the blade is—but anyways, I went through my _'horde' _and found the blade and then I also made this staff to make up for the inconvenience."

"Oh." It wasn't very often that he pulled a massive blank such as this. He stared just as Pit did, and he didn't snap out of it until Pit's face slowly scrunched in confusion and slight offense. It made Dark Pit's eyes drift off to the side until he crouched down to the level of the box. He withdrew the unique crusader blade and the sleek lancer staff. Neither _totally_ being his style... but he prided in being adaptable. The crusader's normally blue accents were replaced with the gold coloring of his old staff, and the lancer staff had the _feel_, the _handle_ of his old staff. _...Look and feel, huh? _"...Thanks."

"Heh-"

"_But_ you're going to lose without fail now."

"Nope, because then it'd be an indirect win for making it."

"No-"

"_Yes-_"


	5. Yourself

"If only _I_ had the mirror shield, _Viridi_. You need a _serious_ look at yourself."

"I should've let you fall."

"_Sching_- let's pretend I held it up at that moment." He had his hand over his face the moment he said that. He moved his hand from his face to add, "And that I'm still holding it. Don't forget." Her growls towards him meant nothing, not because of his imaginary mirror shield, but because she wouldn't kill him (_yet) _compared to the many humans she chose to slaughter on an occasion. "Slaughter for slaughter is disgusting."

"My conclusion is unbiased! It's like deciding to amputate a limb from the host! It _needs_ to be done! The _world _will feel better after it's done!"

"You mean _you_ would feel better after it's done. Out of all the gods, you sure are at the top of the chain when it comes to hypocrisy, Viridi. You complained of balance when it came to Hades last year, but really, it was a struggle of power, of getting more souls for your plant life. That's all it comes down to; greed and _power_."

"Eradication of one toxic family is exactly what this world needs!"

"You gods complain about greed, manipulation and exploitation with humans... but you're all the same but _worse_ than humans with the kind of power you take advantage of. Humans are closest to gods, but Angels-" He went from having a simple hand up over his face, to having both of his arms crossed in front of it. Thorny whips pricked and ripped at his skin, literally yanking and cutting it away. Blood splattered across her marble floor, and there wasn't any other sound but that. "Angels, are the estuary." Shielding himself wouldn't help him against the wrapping vine around his forearm and the stabbing through the palm of his hands—he didn't bother to fight it and was now left dangling up by one arm. He gritted his teeth, swallowed his pain down and continued, "Sufferers of their own brand of degradation from poor practices, but vital to everything on the _exact_ same wavelength."

He thrashed when his back was lashed, and trembled at the lingering sting of his scraped wings. Spared? He wasn't sure. Unable to tell with being in between his unleashed passionate blaze of biting his tongue for so long and Viridi's potential fear of the retribution for his life. He was focused on looking at himself now, of how he tolerated something he didn't agree with just so he could selfishly fly. For a few minutes of unnatural pleasure, he ignored the the lives of many—he fell under the temptation of god for awhile. He looked square into the angry eyes of Viridi's as he spoke. "... It's no different than when Hades used masses of souls to create one thing." An eye for an eye?

"You spurious angel- you _pigeon,_ you are vile to all existence just like them! You belong in the rubble of their wake!"

He was close enough to see himself in the reflection of her eyes before he was sent away to a crumbling town.

**A/N: I want to say it was too dark, but the game had it's own moments. Also Bad Apple spawned this at it's harshest. Blame it.**

**E: TY for pointing out dialog fumble, LittleLinor lol. It looks much better now!  
**


	6. Picky

**A/N: This contains Pit x Dark Pit**

"I want to differ from you."

Fingers ran through his black hair; it had grown a considerate amount in length. His hair still flipped over at the edges that now traveled further down his neck, it tumbled past his shoulders.

"...But we already are?" Fingers now brushed neck then hair.

"When _figures _look at a glance, they see you, or in the case of this town, reverse. See me in you. They're equally fickle in that area..." He sighed, but he noticed something about the fingers tracing around him. It was as if they were creating a new map in the brain of their owner. "Don't be such a narcissist."

"_Hey, _I'm_-_"

"Getting all melancholy about my change..." He didn't protest against arms being wrapped around his chest- and tightly at that. "Or maybe I'm wrong."

"Eh?" Pit's face was in his neck, realizing just how thick and crazy-fluffy his hair was. It was like there was more dark hair there than there really was on his neck. The fluff factor made it easy to rest on.

"You're more curious than annoyed. Makes sense, I guess. Not calling you awful or anything, but about being different... I _know_ I'm you, but I'm also me."

"You're not me anymore." His nose moved some hair away before he added, "You _were _for like, five minutes."

"Heh. But the mirror-"

"Took an image."

"Not just that and you know tha—_Ah."_ He never thought he'd grow to enjoy something like being nibbled on so much. The kind of hug he was in was like a restraint, yet, he didn't react negatively to it. He sighed out again, short and quick; skin of his neck was slightly tugged on. "Pit—_ah-_" Fingers against his chest spread out."_Pit_." Just before they brushed past the 'check point', he pinched the hasty hand to halt its movement. Grumble in his neck made him pinch again.

There was a moment of pause before Pit spoke,"Please. Please ignore them. No matter what you do, something else will be picked at about you and you know it. I'm sorry I don't want to talk about this, I hate when you're hurting." The silence made the brunette feel clumsy and embarrassed enough to slowly start pulling his fingers away, until a pair of hands held them there. While he still didn't like the silence, that action was at least comforting. It was a weird feeling, not having confidence to say something, and he wondered if that was what _he_ was feeling all the time since he popped out the mirror. Except instead of the occasional word fumble, it was simply for looking the way he did. Or more than that. He felt his neck move to swallow, and he nervously pressed his lips on his peachier neck in reply.

"I hate to say it...but I guess you're right." He rubbed his knuckles. "...Still, I'm keeping my hair like this."

"I could get used to it."

"Narcissist." He smiled when he heard Pit laugh.

**A/N:*Figures = gods. **

**Anyway, t****heir relationship will be in much greater detail rather than snapshots in the longfic. Pit x Dark Pit drabbles are...somewhere in the middle of the long fic where they get romantically involved with one another. I hesitated because... it's hard to jump into their relationship just like that. Like it'd leave a lot of questions. 'how did Dark Pit soften? Where did Pit pick up this trait?' I fear a confusing accidental ooc impression when really, they developed these quirks with one another and blah. Still, I decided to give it a test :V Experiment.**

**TOWN TOWN TOWN I think it's been mentioned three times now. Dark Pit is flaky. Sometimes he lives in it, sometimes he leaves it (but not far). He is tsundere for the town. He helps takes care of it and interacts with people sometimes. So to them, Pit is the weirdo doppelganger even though he looks like a more normal angel. They're more used to Dark Pit (who has a different name but I plucked it out for the moment. IT'S A MOMENT in the longfic okay. ) And yes, it's the town Viridi fucked up an update ago. It's name is also plucked from this. ~I'M MYSTERIOUS~ **


	7. We

"We're going to read."

"You know how to read now?" Pit was seated at a simple and non-fancy square table. The town was still in it's reconstructive phase. They were using resources on things that truly mattered, so this wooden table paired with stumpy chairs were the least of anyone's worries.

"The basics," he answered and sat across from Pit. He opened a modestly sized book across the not-so-smooth table, and pointed to the title page that displayed a growing tree on it. "This is based on the conception of the olive tree-"

"Oh I know that one! Lady Palutena told me that one!"

"Hmph, 'Lady' Palutena likes to _lie_, so let's read this."

"As far as I'm aware, humans do _way_ more. Lady Palutena just plays around, but she's really knowledgeable, you know. Goddess of light _and_ wisdom."

"She's smart, but I question the wisdom aspect." He turned a page and raised his voice over Pit's, "ANYWAY," and nudged the puppy-angel to shut up. "Poseidon and Palutena had only but a moment of rivalry—huh." That made him raise an eyebrow and Pit peer closer. "Right, you should look at the letters..." He waited for Pit to look where his fingers were pointing. They were right over Palutena and Poseidon's names. He tapped Palutena's and stated, "There's her's. It'll probably be your most favorite thing to see." He snorted when he was jabbed, but proceeded to explain the difference between Poseidon's name to hers, and other things as he read it out loud.

He has read this book before, but Pit didn't need to know that.

"Man, no wonder Palutena trumped that bet. You can do so much with olives, and the olive tree did make a really nice land mark. Horses are nice but..."

"Yeah, I give her that." Dark Pit mumbled and stared at the book's back.

"I need to practice." As he stated that, his fingers rested on top of the book's hardback. Positioned to slide it over to himself, but stationary to hint that he was asking for permission to take it.

"You should. There's a lot to reading."

Pit snickered, "Heh. Were you inspired by how we got lost-"

"Ugh."

"Ahhh I'm taking that as a yeah!" He laughed more heartily and took the book for himself. "That was great!"

"_Great?" _He glared. That time was so _awful_.

"Yeah, you just hurried off like, 'yeah, yeah' like you understood the suggestion from the human but didn't. He was like, 'you just read the directions on the signs!' but before I could tell him, 'we can't read, dude', you just hurried off, getting us lost for awhile!" He was used to Dark Pit's moodiness and continued his laughing. The other angel cleared his throat.

"_The point I'm GETTING at _is, if you want to be knowledgeable at your own leisure and discover subjects you didn't even think about, you should read. When you read, you can record your thoughts for others to see and learn too. It's really useful." He flicked the book that was now in Pit's hold. "And do it on your own."

"Hey, I will. This is between you and me, and we'll be having a brand new war on our hands when we get this reading thing down."

"Cheh."


	8. Ignite

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"You stay out of this!"

Dodging a homing strike from wolf claws was _almost_ tricky, but he was endowed with a body that had decades of training to it, reflexes already etched into the core, and strength concentrated elsewhere, but still present; and most importantly _his very own_. Pit had upper-body strength, he himself had it in his legs that had proved useful and deadly in the past. Now? He hadn't the chance to try it out again yet. He really wanted to, because even with something so dire, something Pit really wanted to get done such as break the Lunar sanctum's core... he had the flames of the wolf claws turned off. _Why?_

His laughter rose irritation in the wary angel, even though it was not directed towards him. He took a strange pleasure from _gods, _and higher lifeforms-whatever Arlon was, forming theories about him. What was especially hilarious was that Arlon thought he had him hired with implied _manipulation _involved. "Hah!" He took it as compliment that he was seen as so complex, something more than Pit and more than just a clone. All in all, what he was really here for was an easy access to Pit.

But not an easy fight from Pit.

He really wished his 'twin' had brought a bow or a blade rather than flaming claws practical against Viridi's forces. It forced him to hold back as well. There wasn't much of a fight, more of a dance around with an occasional ranged attack that was doomed to miss one another.

"Imbecile!" Dark Pit barked and fired a charged arrow that was easily dodged. Several shots were fired from his silver bow when he stepped to the side and back, keeping distance from the unignited claws. "It'll be your fault when you lose!" He taunted, and taunted, and even managed a thin slice to his hip, but Pit did not ignite those claws. Increasingly, he noticed that Pit was in fact, stealthily aiming his power towards the core while dodging and decoying him with false throws from those switched off claws.

An unusual rage response, but he froze in place. Before he knew it, he was hit with a glowing blast. The impact launched him spinning into the air that lead to a violent landing away from the core. He was paralyzed on his back as Pit continued to strike the orb. The blasts focused on firing at the opposite end away from where he landed before finally exploding.

"Now what, fool?"

"Whatever! Just don't have claws next time!" Luckily, having Pandora's power let him do the impossible; fix his presumably fumbled spine and warp out.

He just could not believe Pit. The nerve.

**A/N: Ffff I haven't updated in nearly a week. Sorry, people! I've been working on other stuff (still all KIU and related to this series!) so I decided to whip this up and lose sleep. (SOB) I really wish that the ffnet profile system would let me use links... so if anyone want stuff I don't post on Ffnet just drop a line and I'll PM it derp. :I**

**Also lol this drabble... so many names and meanings it could take...But I can say I'm as annoyed as Dark Pit. I wanted to write a fight but Pit is too nice. OH WELL that's what Dark Pit vs Amazon Pandora is for! (I also think it's retarded that FFnet doesn't allow explanation points and question marks to be together... it's grammatically correct and puts emphasis on a characters tone askjndskfhd)**


	9. Get it

"I'm sure someone like you would get it."

"Nah. I don't think I do. My main girl and I get each other's styles! Maybe 'cause we're both fine ladies filled with ten-a-city~?" Phosphora answered her former colleague as she swirled around him. "I'm a free spirit, yeah, but I still come by when called~. I think Viridi's a loose girl- in comparison to Palutena anyways. Man, ain't she a bossy one to that cutie?"

He snorted once, but it was towards both statements.

"Viridi throws literal _bloody temper tantrums_, and Palutena asks for too much and takes Pit for granted all the while." The radiant warrior giggled in reply at him. "We were the same person. I'd know." He crossed his arms and snorted.

"I know~ I know~ It's so incredible to me that you came out of the adorable 'Pitty'! You're kinda dark," she swirled around him again and stopped in front of him after a full circle. "And have balls the size of grapefruit I must say." Instead of receiving another snort in reply, she got a cocky short laugh. "Seriously! She whipped you good and flung you into a dying town! Purist form of bravado there." His gaze grew dim at the reminder of both the town and the branding Viridi left him with; something like an irremovable palm that done absolutely nothing. It even expanded to his back but his shoulders were spared. "See? You're pretty dark, but you wear that awkward brand with pride anyways."

"What _else_ am I to do with these scars? I stood up for what I believed in."

"Well yeah, any ol' god could heal that, like say, Palutena. But you choose not to, you gots galls!" She giggled to keep him quiet so she could continue talking. "Though, speaking of that, Cragalanche or Arlon's 'the Pit' of our forces. They're soooo all over her and everything she says."

"I just don't get it." He uncrossed his arms and looked up at the floating warrior. Deciding to ignore her former statement in favor of the latter. "And 'I must say', you have it lucky. You have the choice in the end."

"Yeah. Strong 'n' cool and totes helpful~! You could've been the same too, y'know? Could've became a run for my money to the point we'd fight hardcore!" She tried to flick his face but was swatted at. "Hehehe, I would've loved that. You have the same strength but fight differently than him. Same texture but different flavor~ He was one of the most fun fights I ever had." She then placed her sparkling index finger on her bottom lip. "No wonder you fight him all the time."

"...He's a worthwhile opponent. Perhaps the only."

"Hey, you never fought _me_."

"I _can_ if you want."

"Naaah!"

"What-"

"Not until you're done healing. Like hell I'd fight you right now. It was total B.S that Palutena had Pit hunt me down fresh after my fight with Thanatos. Talk about unfair, hmph!"

_That's_ what happened? Leave it to Palutena to fill his head with those ideas. "Reminds me of when she tried to sick him to kill me."

"Well you didn't kick it like I did. _Anyway_, I don't want to slip into the past or hold grudges. Grudges leave weight in the belly and mind, y'know? We're still cool, right?"

"...I have enough ulcers."


	10. Possession

He harshly gasped.

He woke up in darkness but not in silence. It was hard to tell what the faint and continuous sound was with the way his heart boomed in his ears. His lungs felt like they were crashing, his heart slamming against his ribcage didn't help this desperate _need-to-live_ feeling he woke with. His trembling hand clenched his cold chest, and that was when he felt pain from the shoulder blades down. His other hand latched to the top of his head; the pulse was so strong it felt like it was enough to knock him over. He continued to breathe heavily as if he's been deprived of this action to the verge of death. When most of his functions calmed down, he opened his eyes again, and he could see a purple aura fading away.

Like the time he came out of the mirror.

His still cold and trembling hand slid down from his hair to his face. He cupped it as he tried to make himself _think._ This didn't feel right. He felt like he was flung somewhere, _torn_ out from somewhere...

"Wh...what was...the last thing..."

_Centurions?_

_Where'd the little girl go?_

_It's not exactly good, but at least I'm small._

_Magnus! Magnus! You gotta take this ring!_

**Try THREE years, buddy!**

By the fourth sentence, his other hand covered his face, and his eyebrows crinkled in confusion at the deeper voice. It absolutely hurt to push his mind for more, it was the worst headache he continued to battle.

_Who does that lead? And Where is Lady Palutena, anyways?_

_**Alright, let's get this ring-**_

"Nonsense." He wasn't getting anything from this. He bent his leg and hissed; it wasn't broken, but nerves shot through out it. He took the time to move the other leg, hunching over garnered him the same feeling from his stomach to his waist. "What is...wrong with me?" He tried to stand, but pain to his tail bone made him wail and fall back onto the hard ground.

_**You've become the enemy of all mankind! **_

_You've got to be joking, Magnus! I would never-_

_**Whether you intended it or not, just try tellin' that to all the people your body killed.**_

He laid on his side as those voices echoed clearly through his mind. He _could_ move, but it proved difficult. His body was either too cold to move properly or he lied down wrong or..._something._ He decided that while he was stuck here, he would put this together. Three years, an important ring, Palutena being 'missing' and Pit's body wrecking havoc? He shivered. There's something about bodies he's now 'recalling'. Several bodies... None that felt like his own...

_**Why are you in my body and not your own?**_

This person was 'Magnus'. His voice remained what felt like the whole ordeal of this 'ring' fiasco. 'Take the ring'... possession. Pit's body, Palutena missing...

Possession.

His hands clenched the cold ground and raked dirt in his fingers' path. His arm trembled as he kept hold on the chunk of dirt curbed at the palm of his gloved hand. He was flat on his stomach and bent a leg to get to the process of standing up, and the pain signal traveled down his back and legs. He hissed in pain as he squeezed the clay-like ground harder.

_Everyone is fighting each other even worse than before..._

He was determined to get on his feet.

_**Your goddess lost her mind!**_

He was on his knees as he gritted his teeth. The pain was beginning to finally to wash away the more he tried. His back held most of the burden of this trial, but with his trembling legs, he finally stood fully upright, even if he had to lean on a wall to stay this way. With the help of the cavern wall, he made his way to the exit; the light dim and the sky cloudy. The source of the sound he heard before the chaos of his temple was rain. With the returning strength of his legs, he moved from the wall and outside. His eyes widened at what that dim light in the sky was. It took a form...

"Everything changes, Pit. Even gods!" His wings twitched to fly, but the pain in his shoulder blades and the lack of a weapon... "And to be frank, I'm tired of fighting for those ungrateful humans." He could believe that. "And I am especially tired of dealing with you, Pit!"

But not that.

"Possession everywhere..." He grumbled and forced his legs to speed walk across the luckily smooth terrain. His body needed warming up; he had to fly.

"The only puppet here is you!" He picked up speed.

Fighting was up to Pit, he on the other hand, would investigate across the lands more. As he braced to leap off the cliff, he stated, "It's always been this way. You fight, and someone else does the thinking for you whether you realize it or not." He was soon lifted into the air upon falling off the edge. Winds and sweeping pressure through his feathers was just the encouraging signals in his body and mind absolutely needed.

**A/N: This was a difficult one to do... Though it does make me want to make the next one or two still follow behind this one.**


	11. Brains

**A/N: _Christ_, it took me ten days to get this out and I _still_ hate this chapter. I think it's the worst one I've made ): It sat on the bench as I strangled it—I mean _struggled _with it every day until I gave up today. At least the one after this will be better...**

"Ugh, for the 'Goddess of wisdom', her army sure lacks brains."

Skyworld was an absolute mess, and he was only inside the tarnished realm because Pit crashed through the barrier with the Lightning chariot. The very pair of unicorns he now followed after that shot through the sky like a shooting star. He flew in the opposite direction of an electric nymph in hopes of potentially sandwiching the unicorn pair. He grumbled to himself, "I can't believe you let it just flee like that," and sucked his teeth. He could feel a strong electrical current, but that girl _and_ the horses had the same element, and nearly of the same _league_. He also couldn't fly as fast as _either _so the sandwich plan was already starting to fail. "Ugh." He remained in the air that caused an unusual sensation to his whole body. Even a distance's away the energy was enough to make his body tingle all over.

He lapped one island to the next, before catching sight of Pit darting around Strongarm centurions. Pit kept distance as he continuously shot at them with a meteor bow. Dark Pit sneered at the scene. _They_ weren't possessed, they shouldn't be fighting him, they had no excuses. No excuses for _any_ of this. How could they be okay with the condition Skyworld was in? How could they _not_ know their captain was in the right now and in the wrong_ before?_ The anger he felt was causing him to beat his wings harder and destabilize in the sky. The last thing he needed was to be spotted by Pit and distract him from being one of the only few fluid things in motion. He let himself fall past this island to another as he continued his search for the unicorns.

"_These are goddesses you're talking to, Pit. Watch your tone."_

The voice came from above him, but all he could see was static and a glowing and flapping blue scarf. The lightning girl? He didn't know her name like Pit had.

"Butt out." He couldn't see her bewildered expression behind the glow, but that tingling feeling was from her, and the realization made him turn his head to the side. "And before you start, we're different, alright? Go one way and I'll go the other to get those unicorns."

"Oh...kay." She zipped off west and higher, and he stayed on level and went the opposite. So he understood the difference between the two now, he just needed to remain focused and feel the other. Which... was hard to do with Viridi _and_ Hades in the picture; 'Palutena' was irrelevant in this state. He could safely confirm that unproductivity and lack of sense were his biggest peeves.

"_You have to learn to tune him out_."

"Could be said for all of you..." He grumbled. He began noticing how he could hear conversations directed at Pit during the Aurum invasion. It was his only way to figure out what hell was being raised during that. Through the weird ability he learned to stay away from the hives and let Pit handle it. Pit can handle things.

And so can he.

His silver bow hooked to the chariot—but _shit _were Phos and Lux _fast_. He struggled to keep his eyes opened as tears streamed down his wobbling cheeks, all at the fault of the extreme pressure from their speed. His arms trembled as he struggled to pull himself into the seat which didn't turn out to be much better. It was like being blown and pressured against a wall. He kept his bow split in two, but sheathed them to each side of his hips before grabbing a hold of the heavy chain that steered them. He feels deaf to the world, but he could hear panicking voices so close by...


	12. Hidden

A**/N: So I burned myself out on "Alive". But yeah, **_**Alive **_**is the final part to the previous two chapters of Moult. It was too long to put here, and reviewing that would make my weary heart dance like Hades' adorable little heart. **

"Hm. Not so puny after all..."

The fire pillar in the sky was quite impressive, even as it slowly left the atmosphere it was still visible in the night sky. Dark Pit almost flew to the 'Aurum brain' awhile ago, but he hesitated after Pyrrhon stopped echoing in his own brain. He _thought_ Pit had killed him or something... but that does not seem to be the case.

Unwittingly eavesdropping on Pit's conversations proved to be very annoying. Hearing bits of interesting things but never knowing the full details unless he was there himself. "Either they're carelessly loud, or it really is a _broad_casting." Sometimes he wondered if they were luring him out similarly to the way Arlon attempted to (and really did succeed in doing). They weren't one mind anymore, they shouldn't be 'sharing' anything anymore—not that they ever did in the first place . He let himself drift downward to a mountain. Staying in the air with no sun wasn't one bit comfortable—coldness was something he would gladly do without.

With things silent, Pit had definitely gone home. He himself had no home to go to, just finding somewhere convenient to lay low and wrap his very warm wings around himself until he's ready to roll. Upon landing, he fluidly cycled his legs before skipping to a total halt. It wasn't long before he found an opening in a 'wall' to go into. Dark, but that was fine. He could keep his bow hidden, keep _himself_ hidden-

….

**A/N: I have seven to ten more of these up my sleeve then... I'll start the fic I keep talking about. Anyways, I've gotten pokes about Pit and Dark Pit interaction, the following chapters after this one will have those. Hooray?**


	13. Patterns

The two angels were in separate areas of a small tower that housed nothing but books. The amount they'd collected was still unsatisfactory to Dark Pit, but they'd come pretty close to filling the place up with pages from all over the country.

He placed a half-read book down on the floor amongst a pile of several other half-read books before he stood up. He loved the spiral shape of the tower despite its pseudo square-like shape, and how there was a swirling path both the inside and outside of the tower. Ladders cut through the center for quicker climbing, but he still strolled down the levels the slow way, barefoot and quiet. He holed himself up on the highest floor, near the window where it was easier to see the clouds.

Pit hardly ever moved from the first floor.

The pile around him was smaller than Dark Pit's, but they were all flipped over to their backsides. The one book in his lap was a fourth of the way through. When Dark Pit paced over, a page of the book was turned and the concentrated angel exhaled softly. It was impossible for Pit not to have heard or felt him when he'd reached the same floor.

Dark Pit lowered himself so that he was near him, leaned in close to his ear, but did nothing-and Pit turned another page. He moved his face even closer to his ear and he opened his mouth, exhaling softly himself. While his form kept still in its position over Pit, his eyes watched how Pit's fingers budged at and crinkled the edge of a page. He straightened it and turned another page.

When he nipped his ear, Pit's breath hitched, his fingers twitching against the newly turned sheet. He applied no pressure to his ear and kept still. When another page was turned, he smiled to see that Pit continued focusing on reading, even with his ear still gently caught between teeth.

He let his teeth grind as lightly as possible. When Pit reacted to that, his form shivering slightly, he shifted his head so his teeth moved down to the helix and toward the earlobe before he added a tiny bit of pressure.

Again, he waited and listened to another page turn.

He let his ear go and pressed his chest in between his wings, which were no longer arched or close together. His eyes remained on what was visible of Pit's face; he could see that his cheeks colored. It wasn't much with how pale that angel was, but it was still funny to see. The top row of his teeth took his ear in his mouth again without the lower row; instead, he placed the tip of his tongue against the back of his ear.

When Pit shivered, he wrapped his arms under his arms and could feel the tension of his stomach muscles. His fingers nudged against his body- a mocking question as to why Pit hadn't turned a page yet, and that his index finger went back to the left side of the book rather than slide to the edge of the other side. When another page was eventually turned, he lets his ear ago once more and leaned his forehead against the back of that pillow-like hair.

He was curious, belatedly, about what the other angel was reading, but he remained still and listened to another page turn. Pit's stomach relaxed again, as did his shoulders and the wrist that held the book. But his thumb- it swiped the small edge of the page, similar to how one would tap their fingers in thought.

Dark Pit tightened his embrace and turned him over onto his side.

The book was safely preserved on its current page when it closed over Pit's hand. Pit didn't move, and neither did Dark Pit. His face was still where it was, as were his arms; they did not move even an inch closer. Pit's leg slowly curled up before stopping, and his other hand was on the back of the book. His breathing was lightly jagged as his leg curled out and his form twisted. After that, the back of his head was nuzzled, and his jerking stomach was lightly patted on by finger tips.


	14. Endearing

"I don't eat."

Pit slowly closed his mouth without taking a bite of his fresh melon. He moved the fruit from his sight before asking the other angel across from him, "You don't?" with great disbelief.

"More of... I don't _need_ to eat." After his statement, he rolled his own melon over to Pit's side of the table.

"...You don't?" Pit looked at the rejected melon as he asked this. "Then what'd you do with the snacks I've been bringing you all the time?"

"I ate them."

"_What_-" He rolled the fruit back towards the nonchalant angel. "You're trolling me. I know I'm easy to dupe, but c'mon now!" Being chuckled at only rose his suspicions.

"I'm serious..." He rolled it back over to Pit. "I only do because it tastes good. Otherwise, I don't _have_ to."

"And how did you figure _that_ one out?" The dark angel actually found it endearing that Pit didn't believe him.

"Remember when I went missing for a few days and stated 'I was busy'? I got stuck in a landslide and had to dig myself out. Nothing to eat for those two days but I didn't feel a bit strange on the way out. Just thirsty." He observed how Pit's expression went from a pouty sneer to genuine surprise. "I guess we're hooked at the gut too. Or something." He didn't know the exact detail or extent of their connection, but with the way Pit ate he wouldn't be one bit surprised. He kept his auburn eyes on blue ones until he heard fruit rolling over. "I'm not joking-"

"I brought that for you." He bit into his melon and added, "What's your favorite anyway, Pitch?"

The statement and question confused him for a brief moment. He wasn't sure if Pit acknowledged his confession or not. He eyed the fruit, then back to him before finally answering, "Watery ones."

Pit hummed as he chewed. When he swallowed his portion he asked, "Like peaches? Strawberries too, I think." He closed his eyes and hummed again. "Peaches...Yeah, you always did bite into those the moment you received them..."

The chain of responses from Pit made him turn his head away and mutter, "Yeah, peaches." Strawberries he left unsaid. He grabbed his melon and bit into it as his excuse to no longer reply to Pit. …Who unfortunately reminded silent, soft laughter aside. The only thing Pitch couldn't hide from Pit was his flushed cheeks.

**A/N: I thought I'd go without using his newly obtained name in Moult but NOPE. But hey, at least none of you know how he got the name or who even came up with it. Or when. So wooo hoo.(Also trying to not be distracted by Black 2 oop)  
**


	15. Points

"My cat had six."

"Yeah so? It's a cat." Gaol said and carefully positioned her newborn baby on her bosom. "Sometimes they pop out as many as eight." She knew a thinking face and a well-greased brain when she saw one, and this angel definitely had those qualities. "Humans can sometimes pop out two."

"Often?"

"Don't think so—and you haven't see a pregnant lady yet, huh? Just one swells a lady up a lot! More than two would likely be over kill."

"Literally?"

"Literally." And so the angel went back to his very clear thinking face. She actually wanted to get to know this 'character'. She wasn't around enough philosophical people... and already she found him refreshing, even if it's over something that was basic knowledge to her. Instead of asking him a series of questions, she'd rather _him_ ask her the questions.

"That doesn't...sound good."

"Why?"

"Because humans have one—or _two_ at a time every nine months. Then it takes twelve to fourteen years for the spawn to make their own. This species is...potentially damned."

"Heh-hah."

"_Really_. A cat can spawn six or more in nine _weeks_. Then their spawn take up to a year to continue the cycle. Humans are slow, and after that genocide..."

"Man, humans are _fine_." She chuckled as she gently patted her baby on the back several times until she burped. "See that? They can't do it on their own, they can't even lift their heads up right now. They can't do anything besides wail every two hours for your attention. One baby is a nightmare, more than one is like being in Tartarus itself." Before Dark Pit could argue back in this growing debate, she stated, "And I only have two of these."

"...Right."

Point.

**A/N: ... There will be a pseudo-hiatus with this. I've become heavily invested in Pokemon Black & White once again which caused my muse to switch over. OOP. **


	16. Catch

"All that I ask of you is to please return me to the Overworld." He remained straight in posture and expression when he stated his request to Palutena. With the way the Goddess sighed and how her eyebrows curved, she didn't need to say she was disappointed by his rejection of residing in Skyworld.

"Alright...But before I do that, Pit wanted to see you again."

"Tch, always a catch with you gods, even when your offers aren't taken."

She grinned in response and replied,"nothing's free, Pittoo. Samples come with a bit of harassment."

His feathers _literally_ ruffled and he hated that. With the memories of Pit—once _being_ Pit, he knew she loved to see how feathers of angels were bristled by things that irritated them; how expressive those gimped wings could be. She designed the original body, so her getting quirks was just about inevitable and it would always feel like an unfair trade to _this_ guy. Gods kept taking and taking, and nothing they could 'give' would ever feel like an exchange. He walked away in a huff, going from mildly offended to moderately offended. He wanted to spout, 'this is why I don't want your thinly disguised protection!' but that'd only give her more ammo. It was because of her he learned how to shut up when it came to arguing with most gods, even if Pit never displayed it and kept 'falling' for it.

He doesn't forget like Pit does, and he wondered if it was because of the mirror he has such a sticky memory. He remembered Palutena's words and he still had difficulty shaking it off.

_'Having an angel is pretty handy. **Use** his scrapitude to your advantage!' _

He would always question Palutena's motives when it comes to himself. He was different to Pit; a piece of counterfeit property. A pretty good knock-off with cool tricks of its own most likely. Sometimes, it even felt like he only had an illusion of choice, that it really wasn't his even if he could say 'no' to her.

He remained still at the center of the palace.

Quite literally the center with three levels of stairs. The lowest was the weaponry, the next level to the practice range and finally, the main (and prettiest) stairs out of this realm as long as you can fly. He longingly stared at those floating crystalline stairs until it felt overwhelming. Felt like he was having a case of synchronized dejavu he could do without. He growled in increasing volume,"where are _you_ pu-" but abruptly stopped. He felt like a toy and couldn't call him a puppet this time. Not just to one, but to this society; his recent encounter with Viridi was the catalyst to it all. He crossed his arms and continued to walk no where. His fingers tightened on his arms when he heard heavy foot steps echo up stairs.

"Oh whoa you're still here-"

"If I could be gone, I would be," the way his reply crawled from his lips was slow and deadly like miasma tightening the air.

"So uh...so...what can I do about it?" Clumsily delivered but no less sincere. His fingers loosely went through the back of his brown hair as his eyes darted around to everywhere but those cold eyes in front of him.

He nearly snapped, 'she said _you_ wanted _me_ for something!' but felt like he was delivering to her schemes. Her jokes. He traps—just giving her any form of satisfaction grinded his gears. It came off so brutally strategic that it felt like no matter what decision he made or said she won, and he could do without it right now. His scars still pulsated with pain.

"What do you want, _Pit_?" He let his arms go as he asked this.

The other angel was surprised by that question.

"Wha? I dunno—why are you asking like I wanted something?" Pit's eyes still didn't connect with his.

His fingers curled into trembling fists as he burned his stare into Pit. He hated how obvious with everything that guy was, how his heart was on his sleeve no matter what. That he was both curious and sorry about his scars and it was more irritating that he looked away rather than just dote over the design and feel that came from it. His right hand quaked as it rose up, but it fell flat against his own leg. He swiftly turned around and stormed for the main staircase.

"Uh-! You need-"

"I'll just jump from the stupid heavens!"

"You can't do that!" He shrieked and sprinted after the dark angel.

His damaged wrist was captured with a vice grip, like he was already falling. He was even yanked off the first step of those crystal stairs. He gasped both in shock and pain and fell over. His senses had shot through him like a mega marble violently bouncing against a tight room of angled walls.

"_You-_"

"You'd die if you did that you idiot!"

"_You.._ retard! As if she'd let me burn up in the atmosphere! She sees and hears everything! She would just beam me somewhere else! If I'm gonna die it's not right now! Not like this!" His good arm clenched at the squeaky clean floor, but his injured arm he didn't dare yank back. The pain was intense enough to make his toes tightly curl and for him to bite his lower lip. The bite began to tear at the skin of his bottom lip as Pit stared at him unoffended, simply focused. Pit's blue eyes didn't leave his that started to tremble like his arm. He didn't turn away from that focused gaze until he felt fingers brush up his scars. His breath escaped him and he didn't know what it was from. Fingers brushed down it lightly and carefully until his hand's entire presence was gone.

Speechless, the both of them.

Dark pit remained where he was as he watched Pit get up and idly straighten his clothes. He sucked his teeth, still unable to find words to say.

"Sorry..." Pit murmured. "You'll be where you want to be in no time."

He still remained where he was even when Pit ran to Palutena's sacred chamber. He slowly twisted his body to look back at those stairs. His eyes traveled up to the tightly shut door where light still cracked through. He didn't blink, squinted at most when he swallowed. He felt strain all over; from his eyes to the joints of his toes.


	17. Like You

"Gaol did, yeah."

"Whoa it's like blades of freshly cut grass!" Pit exclaimed as he gently rode his hand over the shape of his head. "It's so short..." The only fluff that remained were the trademark bangs.

"Before it was too long. Monotony isn't my thing." He answered as he looked at himself in a pond. He felt it more than he saw it until now, getting a more detailed look of it, he thought it didn't look half bad. He traced the shape of his face from his ears to the tip of his chin as he stated,"and it's easier to deal with. Unlike you, I can't be too high maintenance on the Overworld."

Pit snorted, "I'm _not_ high maintenance."

"You are, you're just so accustomed to it you don't notice it. Your wings are like a swan's, you're smooth with no skin blotches, your nails are perfect despite all the heavy duty work, y'got bangles and broaches and the like all over you, _and_ all that time in the hot springs gave you pretty good pores too. The least prepped up thing about you is your hair. It's a bitch to deal with."

"Like you," Pit grumbled and noogied his now easy to reach scalp.

"I guess you're not cutting it short anytime soon."

Because Pit was in view, he stuck his tongue out for the pond to reflect.


	18. Cruel

"To the unluckiest woman in the world."

That was this grounded angel's answer to Sky world's stunned visitor. He then placed potted orchids down where the long chain of offers first began. Everyone within this growing civilization offered something to the fallen Goddess. Sculptures, engraved tablets, flowers, scented candles, jewelery and charms all in Medusa's name.

"Y'think so...?" His voice was uncharacteristically mousy. There was uncertainty behind it as well as guilt. Pit was as clear as glass 'heart on his sleeve' wasn't a strong enough statement to describe Pit.

"I know so. I had my fare share of being an ass to her too, but eventually I got to see things for what it was, not just at the war's end, but when I sat down and thought about it. She was so unlucky." He felt about as unlucky as her sometimes. She wasn't the god of the underworld or even the queen of the underworld, just a fake and a lie. She was also cursed with painful scars and banished to a realm she made do with; they were eerily similar in a lot of ways that made him relatively uncomfortable. "The way everyone responds to darkness, Pit."

"Auh..." His eyes averted away as his fingers wiggled about nervously.

"Do you get the difference now?" He placed his hands on his black and golden belt just ready to lean forward to make Pit uncomfortable with his annoyed expression. "Did I enlighten you a little bit from your gravely clouded bias?"

"...Er... There's a difference between evil and darkness _but-_"

"Oh, so you didn't. Never mind." He turned away and swallowed down a sigh.

"They just happen to be blurred together all the time."

"Light isn't always good. Look where it dragged her, and look what she did in the end. Sometimes light is more cruel than darkness. The way it judges and slowly pick things apart while going 'I'm right, you're wrong, there's no discussion. Face my justice and do as I say no matter how you feel. Face the light'. Ugh. "

Pit physically swayed around to shake the tension off of him. He had a reflex to argue but bit his tongue. He felt incredibly uncomfortable with his conversation as well as this entire event. One leg wanted to make the step to turn, the other kick some dust up in growing frustration. He nearly said 'you're wrong' and it hurt. Made him doubt himself and the views her grew up with. His feet was audible as it turned and scratched the earth.

"Deny it all you want, I come from you. You've thought it somewhere along the way."

Pit kept walking.


	19. Open

**A/N: I'm ending Moult a little earlier than I expected. It's starting to feel in the way of actually getting the series (two stories) in motion. This thing's purpose was to get me into writing whenever I had ruts and blocks and it successfully filled its purpose. It was also meant to be a trailer fic, showing bits and pieces of my favorite parts I had planned of the two stories. I thought of ways to give Moult a neat clip and...actually decided to upload an entire chapter of something I was really fond of and too impatient to wait on posting in its official release. Also trailers always have super wowzas at the very end so hey.**

**Good note to end this little thing on. **

He only felt on the inside rather than on the surface of his thin shell of a body; the true nature of his existence exposed. He fell from so high up from Hera's face but experienced no physical pain, his vessel didn't shatter upon impact, he was just an image that was dissolving away. Hera was long gone, and all he had to his last day of life was to lay on his back and face the shifting sky as he waited.

He was used to waiting.

And he knew upon Pit's arrival, whenever that would be, his body would truly fade completely away. Hera planned it this way, her sadistic timer she'll get to see up close no matter where she was. While she didn't openly say so, he saw that under the layer of sadism she wanted to be understood. There was nothing he could do to reach Pit himself as much as he wanted to see him, and that's what hurt most. Even with limited time upon encounter. He knew what she was going through, but he ignored it to reign on top, to be victorious and stop her tyrannical raid, but being down like this was when he had no choice but to think about _and_ digest her feelings. And momentarily, he wondered about when Pit would finally reach his sparkling _technical_ carcass, would he understand past her action of ripping him out of his eternal life, or would it be after his vengeful thirst soon to come? Would he just simply become her?

He just couldn't find the answer as his feelings ate away at him from the toes up.

This timeless feeling, it was the worst. No matter what he thought about, or even if he stopped thinking, he felt stuck as his feelings constantly moved about; they were changing through the entire spectrum of flavors. Only his eyes could move—his sense of sight that is. He felt a pounding and he wasn't sure if he had a heart or if something was playing tricks on him. He could still breathe, or what felt like breathing. His eyes darted around away from the sky as much as possible, but it wasn't proving to be possible. All he could see was the sky. He couldn't find the strength to call out for him, so he continued to 'wait'.

…

He couldn't close his eyes-his sight.

The only signs of time moving was a thick cloud crawling by from one side to the next, and soon he would see nothing but blue.

It felt so lonely and repressive.

This was what he was 'given' to see. This was what he was 'given' to do, and what he was handed to feel. He second guessed his desire for death to come already.

"Pitch! Pitch!" Pit's voice was strained as his feet scrambled across the ground.

He still couldn't direct his sight to see him. He wasn't granted his face until Pit personally got on his knees and appeared closely and directly above him.

"Took you long enough..."

"I can't—I can't hold you-" Pit's shaky voice stated. He could hear his very solid fingers scraping against the ground where he should be lying at.

"She...exposed me for what I am."

"What-"

"It's unimportant...I broke her forehead open, her gem is gone. She's severely weakened-"

"_Pitch_." It was an attempt to be stern, and he couldn't say he didn't care, he did, just not as much for his current state right now. He continued to try to pick him up. His eyebrows furrowed but still twitching, sweat running down his forehead, blue eyes shaking desperately.

"It's not possible. My body... Its..." It was hard to explain. Even with it 'shown' to him Pit refused to acknowledge it.

"I traveled from the underworld to the heavens on foot, I charged through a three year war and defeated anyone and even _Hades_ in my way, _nothing_ is impossible!" He growled and kept clawing at various spots of the ground where his body was displayed.

A weak laughter slipped. He couldn't understand how he was still doing this without a body.

"C'mon just... save your energy." He couldn't tell him to go away, he didn't want him to. He didn't want to be alone like that again. Pit's determined expression was bordering on crazed as he saw his shoulders go from tensed up to shaking violently. He was ready to speak to him again, but his breath was taken away. His sight shook then stabilized.

He was picked up.

"I told you..." He sounded breathless himself. "Nothing is impossible." He wasn't breathing, but he could see and hear Pit, and he could momentarily feel his arms around him... He tried to speak but it just wouldn't happen. "You're not one to be so in shock-" He looked bewildered then stricken with grief when he saw the angel wasn't pulling his leg. He couldn't talk, he couldn't move, couldn't even blink. "...I..." He almost said he was sorry, but for what? He wasn't sure what to say. He leaned his head closely, but not too closely in fear he would go right through him again. He swallowed, and it was hard, his mouth and throat felt parched with shock of his own. "No...no no no..." His fingers tightened. "_No. No. No._" He got up from one knee and was about to rise from the other one when the fading angel quite nearly passed through his hands like sand.

He fell onto his knees and clung to him.

"_Pit..."_ He thought his name, and he saw he was heard when shrunken blue eyes looked at him with chilling focus. _"Pit..."_ He felt the full exposure, his soul was as exposed as can be right now. Pit can hear him even in his thoughts. He was cradling his soul, right here in all of his entirety. This was it. _"Pit... I'm about to be gone forever... either you can let me go to reincarnate or...consume me." _He paused, Pit's breather sounded like he was electrocuted. _"However it goes I'll cease to exist, Pit. But if you consume me you'll have more power." _It wasn't something he really wanted to talk about.

"I'm _not_-"Neither of them did. "I'm not going to use you as a power source! You're more than that..."

"_Not necessarily-_"

"You are! You are your own person!"

He paused. He felt joy at that statement, even though it didn't feel true. He let Pit have his opinion, even though he didn't agree with it anymore with the way he lost his body, and how it was plausible for Pit to rightfully consume him.

"_...Thanks. I never said it..._ _But...you've... added a lot of substance to my life. You were a reminder everyday I could feel and think on my own... bad and good. We got to live our nature to the fullest, the human part of us. I really...I'm glad I got to." _

"You've done a lot more in your short few years than I have done with over thirty... It wasn't until recently that I've felt this...full." Huge water droplets spilled from his eyes. He didn't want to use past-tense. He didn't want to stay here like this.

"_I'm glad you're here...but you're also sustaining me." _When Pit arrived he could feel he was leaving, like sleeping but feeling like he was mentally being lifted away. As soon as he was picked up, his breath left him but he felt grounded all over again. _"She...kept me here until you arrived. I was meant to dissolve and slip away, but then you picked me up...only makes sense. At the core of it all... I come from you, I'm extracted from you, of course I would find stability against you like this. But if you let me go... or you pull me in all the way, that's it."_

"I..." his voice was the highest and scratchiest, and his intake of air was so sharp and painful. He couldn't lift his tears or hide his pained whines. "It feels like I'm letting you die."

_"...You are and you aren't. It isn't your fault that I'm going to die, I made sure of that. But..."_ He wanted to say he was suffering like this. All he had were the basic senses of hearing and seeing. He couldn't take being unable to move or physically feel. He couldn't even smell.

"I can't...just hold you like this...?"

_"You could..."_ He nearly said 'however long you want' but Pit could stay here for a week or more. His powerful body would allow it, but he wasn't sure if his own mind would allow it. Palutena wasn't so strict with him to make him just leave either, and her trying to reason with him would probably make it all the harder for Pit rather than letting this be done with. _"Don't...hold on for too long, Pit. It isn't good for either of us."_

"I just...want to talk..."

_"Talk away..."_

"I don't know where to begin..."

_"Of course you don't."_ The laughter he got in reply was so sad and heavy. _"I don't really know either."_

"I already miss laying in your hair, preening your wings. You don't even have a scent anymore..."

_"I can't smell as is. I can't feel. I felt you for a moment but now I don't have that either...I can only talk and listen to you."_

"Can you see me...?"

_"Yeah."_

"I know it's harder on you...but it's so hard to let you go... I can't picture you not coming back, not being here. I can't..." He heaved again, and kept it in for a few seconds before he let out a sob.

"_... You don't have to at this moment..."_

"I'm so sorry." He trembled and let out sob after sob.

"_It's fine...you've been on top all this time." _From that point on, Pit didn't talk, he only cried and trembled. Things went back to what it was from a few moments ago; staring at the empty blue sky but with a bit of Pit's hair shaking in view this time. _"Are you feeling better?"_

"I don't know..." His voice was hushed. He lifted his head up to look at his transparent features. "...Y-you're fading away _anyway_..."

"_Is that so...? I wouldn't be able to tell...I guess I do feel more tired..." _His will was playing a part to this, Pit's sustaining aside. He directed his eyes to Pit's as much as he could. While he couldn't feel his own face, he went by memory on how a smile felt like. _"I take back the choice."_

"What...?"

_"Take me with you."_

"What—No! I don't want to-"

_"I don't want to reincarnate, it's not guaranteed that I would anyway... Soul eating monsters, sketchy resurrections... And if I did make it...I could be something stupid like a tree. Take me with you."_

That was enough convincing, but it wasn't the less gut wrenching.

"_Please_ don't twist words right now. _Please_." He was trembling violently again. "You just want me to—I can defeat her without doing this-"

_"Take me with you."_ He wasn't going to argue. _"Hold me up to your shoulder and take me with you..." _There was a long pause. Pit was going at war of himself, and it was as clear as day. "_Ngghh._" He couldn't see that for long, even his eyesight started to darken as he felt a sharp pain. It reminded him of when he first woke up during Palutena's possession. _"I can't see-" _He quickly stated. He couldn't tell he was being lifted, he couldn't make sense of anything. _"Are you-_"

"I'm taking you with me. I-it's okay." He finally leaned closely to his forehead. Most of his body was gone. All that was left of him was the sternum up and a bright glowing orb where his heart would be. "It's okay..." The quietest he ever been. The soul was separating slowly as it traveled upward. "I got you..." He could feel his arm surging with an intense pulsating heat. He wasn't getting a reply at all, and apart of him wished that those dead purple eyes were closed, or that he was just nothing but an orb now. Fate wasn't that kind as his soul slowly traveled to him. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the eyes under him; he never saw eyes like this before. The soul fully moved to his arm, and that was when Pitch's image completely disappeared in a swirl like a halo. Like he just finished a drink of the gods and they wanted their fancy cup back. He shook the thought out of his head, he said 'take me with you'. He didn't consume him. He did not. His chest tightened and it was all the harder to breathe. Desperate and quick, hives rapidly started to appear on his neck and upper back as his fingers moved about for something, anything to be there.

Nothing.

Not a scrap of clothing. Not a bangle or broach, nothing. He didn't exist anymore.

His eyes stung and blurred, and any energy he had felt gone. He laid down on the ground where he was but no where to be seen, not even a dent or shape in the dust. It was like he wasn't there, and he felt just as gone as the other angel was. The sickest and weakest he ever felt.


End file.
